A new photo might have hinted at a DCU superhero actor's return in Man of Tomorrow, as his physique looks to be at an all-time high. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn recently announced his Superman follow-up as Man of Tomorrow, coming to theaters on July 9, 2027. Currently, Gunn has only directly confirmed three actors for his Superman sequel, including David Corenswet's Superman and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor. That said, Man of Tomorrow is expected to bring back the Justice Gang and other familiar DCU characters, as Gunn previously teased the project takes place "within the group of characters we’ve already met."
One major DCU player who was absent from Superman is Aaron Pierre's John Stewart, aka Green Lantern, whose journey will begin in early 2026 with HBO's eight-episode Lanterns series. The actor himself stirred up rumors he will reprise his DCU role when Man of Tomorrow begins production around April, crytpically responding "Yes, indeed," with a green-heart emoji to the movie's announcement.
While neither James Gunn nor Aaron Pierre has confirmed John Stewart's role in Man of Tomorrow, the actor looks more jacked than ever in a topless mirror selife shared online (via Cosmic Marvel), highlighting his insane muscle definition.
Pierre will star as new recruit John Stewart opposite veteran space-cop Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, in Lanterns. The HBO series will officially be "John Stewart's story," placing the 31-year-old in the starring role.
The 60-year-old Chandler's casting sparked fears that Jordan won't make it out of his debut alive, leaving Stewart as the DCU's primary Green Lantern alongside Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, who will make his third appearance in Lanterns.
Read more about seven other Green Lanterns who need to join the DCU.
Lanterns was shot from February to July and is expected to premiere in early 2026, with fans eagerly awaiting the first trailer. In the meantime, DC Studios already revealed a low-res first look at Pierre on-screen in the show.
Having wrapped filming on Lanterns, Pierre is currently turning attention to another sci-fi project, this time in a galaxy far, far away. The Rebel Ridge actor has joined Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith, Amy Adams, and Mia Goth with an unknown role in Star Wars: Starfighter, which began filming in August ahead of a May 2027 release.
As of now, Man of Tomorrow isn't expected to start filming until April ahead of its theatrical release on July 9, 2027. That ought to leave Pierre ample time to wrap up his Star Wars debut before returning to the DCU.
John Stewart's DC Future Looks Brighter Than Ever
Lanterns will mark John Stewart's live-action debut after the character rose to popularity, partly thanks to the Justice League animated series. After that, it seems increasingly likely that Aaron Pierre will reprise his Green Lantern in Man of Tomorrow for the character's first-ever theatrical movie appearance.
As Superman, John Stewart, and Hawkgirl, three founding members of the Justice League, appear in the same DCU movie, one has to wonder if Man of Tomorrow may plant the seeds for the Justice Gang's inevitable successor.
Before his HBO series began filming in February, Pierre made it clear he was going all-in for Lanterns, doing his "extensive DC homework" and "physical preparation," highlighting his dedication and excitement for the role.
If Stewart is in Man of Tomorrow, that ought to reassure fans that James Gunn has a plan for the DCU's superheroes beyond their debut projects. And that likely won't be the end for the fan-favorite superhero either, as scooper Jeff Sneider teased on The Hot Mic podcast that Lanterns will be an "ongoing series" with a Season 2.
While The CW's Arrowverse teased that David Ramsey's John Diggle may have been heading down a Green Lantern path as a discrete adaptation of John Stewart, that arc never truly came to fruition as he discarded his Emerald Ring.
